Irises 

"Irises," by Katsushika Hokusai, emerges from a Japan steeped in both artistic tradition and socio-political transformation. Hokusai, working during the Edo period, lived in a society governed by strict class hierarchies. His art, including his flower studies, offered a perspective that at once respected and subtly challenged these norms. Here, irises rise tall, a symbol of resilience and beauty. Hokusai uses the woodblock technique to emphasize line and form, but he infuses the work with an attention to the ephemeral qualities of nature. In a society that often constrained individual expression, Hokusai found freedom and agency in his art. In his later years, Hokusai reflected, "From the age of six, I had a mania for drawing shapes." Here in "Irises," we can see how his ability to render shape, color, and feeling allows for a unique emotional connection between the viewer and the natural world. This artwork becomes a testament to the power of art to transcend social barriers.